How Unlisted and Samsung Animated an Alternate Universe
Animation can provide an unrivalled sense of nostalgia.
To greater or lesser degrees, billions of us grew up consuming animation. On television, in movie theatres, comic books and newspapers.
Our favourite characters are drawn to perfection, telling the story that we know and love.
Combining animation and live action takes this another step further. It invites our comparatively dull world into a kaleidoscopic utopia of bubblegum pinks and neon greens. A world where the possibilities are only limited to what one can imagine.
Samsung chose to partner with Unlisted, an animation, film, and VFX Production company to combine the wonderful world or animation and our own real world in their newest spot for the Galaxy S9 Series Tablet.
Katie Mackin, Unlisted managing director and executive producer takes LBB’s Casey Martin through the process.
LBB> When combining live action with animation, what challenges does that present? And how did you do it?
Katie> There’s always the challenge of ensuring that the animation feels at place within the live-action world, and not an afterthought. It’s especially tricky when you’re compositing 2D animation as it can be quite jarring against the live plates. I think the mixing of the two mediums worked in this film, as the story allowed for a certain whimsy, enabling believability.
LBB> When choosing the style of animation, what was the thought process? Are there any iterations that didn’t make it to the final product?
Katie> In terms of this production, we were approached with a theme - “retro” - so it was a matter of understanding which direction to take that in. At the beginning, we explored 90s comic books and were leaning towards a Marvel-universe feel. This vision evolved when we brought 2veinte onboard. They have an incredible portfolio of works that tie-in to the retro theme yet feel very contemporary. This balance was important because the purpose of the film was to unveil Samsung’s latest Tab - a product of the here and now. We didn’t want to skew too vintage and risk the product not feeling current.
LBB> What was the most exciting and fun part of this project?
Katie> There was a real synergy between all parties from the very beginning - prod co, director, agency and client. When this happens, the production feels less like work and more like a creative pursuit with friends. Agency-side were trusting in our process and open to our creative ideas, allowing us the opportunity to be playful and imaginative. The result is a film that all parties are really proud of.
LBB> Have you learnt anything from this process or from the animation process in general?
Katie> I’ve learnt a thing or two in my many, many years in production (not to show my age!), but I always come back to this: there’s rarely a problem that a little creative thinking can’t fix. This is especially true in animation where whatever you can imagine, you can create.
LBB> Finally, what is your favourite style/example of animation? This can be within advertising or of course, film/TV/print
Katie> I feel there’s been a real pivot in the industry, particularly over the last year, that’s seen animated briefs from agencies focusing on AI or tech-forward techniques. Whilst exciting, and whilst Unlisted is certainly keen to undertake such projects, I’ll always have a strong fondness for well-executed, hand-drawn animation - like this Samsung film! 2veinte are masters in this respect.
Their film Miami Design District is in a similar vein to Samsung, and just beautiful to the eye. Gary Levesque, our director from WIZZ, also comes to mind. His recent film for Nike, starring Megan Rapinoe, takes me back to my youth. Classic 90s aesthetics and effects. There’s also Werlen Meyer, our director-group from Eddy, who place great emphasis on design and hand-drawn illustration. The result is breath-taking - see their Coco Crush series for Chanel. Who needs AI when you have brilliant human talents like these!
